HSD: Spirit of Unforgiveness Series: Part 1

Come here. Come take a walk with me.

With what lies have you been coming into agreement concerning unforgiveness? Here is what I would like you to understand.

The spirit of unforgiveness is stubborn and covert. It lies in multiple ways. It is rooted in and collaborates with the spirit of pride; therefore, it is both strong and destructive. Remember this, just as pride can you tell you that you do not have pride, unforgiveness can tell you that you are over it.

However,

Sometimes we have come into agreement with this spirit because we have not been true to ourselves about what we are really feeling. This lack of reflection will cause the enemy to manipulate your willful ignorance. Sometimes, you just haven’t weaponized the necessary language needed to directly attack the source of what is plaguing you in certain matters, and since the enemy is very legalistic in this way, you continue to struggle with certain perspectives because you don’t know the spirits that are truly at work. You do not know which spirits are hiding under the masks of others.

For instance…

Consider a situation where someone spoke derogatorily about you. If you think of that person and nothing good comes to mind, you are likely struggling with the first scenario. If no version of this person nor any scenario of apology would make you think better of this person? You are struggling with the spirit of unforgiveness. Check your pride with Jesus and work on that because you will not get in with this baggage. Forgiveness is a choice. Choose it.

Just the same,

If you can honestly think of a person and see them outside of what was done to you. Eliminate confirmation biases that reinforce the version of them that you have adapted. If you can honestly think of good times with this person and generate a true list of what you like about them even though you are still hurt about the situation. If you don’t even desire a relationship but can still receive them openly if they receive the deliverance needed to make them better people, you could be struggling with other sprits but failed to afford them the specific identification they are operating under because you haven’t been honest with yourself.

Maybe, just maybe…

You forgive them. You are just hurt and wish they were sorry for the way they hurt you. Maybe this hurt has aligned itself with the spirit of rejection.

Maybe, just maybe…

It was not what they said about you, it was the inaccuracy that came along with the assertions and that spirit of insecurity in operation will not let you rest until you receive validation from this person or these people.

Maybe, just maybe…

 all you want to hear is, “oh no! I actually do not see you that way and it was unfair to misjudge you.” Maybe that spirit of validation or approval is at work and because they have gone unchecked, they have invited the spirit of unforgiveness to mask what you are really battling.

The spirit of abandonment is at work, so you cannot let go of the situation until you no longer feel abandoned.

No matter the case,

I need you to realize something…

When God tells you to seek Him in Spirit and in Truth, He means it. If you cannot be honest with yourself, you will struggle with being honest with God. The popular but secularized phrase “the truth will set you free” is actually a Biblical concept (more on the world’s blatant plagiarism of the Word in another post. And yes, I do have time.) It actually comes from John 8:32, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

My brothers and sisters-in-Christ, the enemy is very cunning and very deceptive. Do not underestimate your opponent. The more you attempt to suppress and conceal the truth about yourself is the more you are allowing the enemy to weaponize what he understands to be true about you and your situation. The enemy is exceptionally good at manipulating situations to water seeds that he planted to keep you stuck. He is incredibly good at projecting his spirits on to you. He is particularly good at using legal positions to taunt and follow bloodlines for generations. He is also insanely skilled at creating strongholds from agreements you have accepted in your mind.

Sit down and reflect. Humble yourself before God and ask Him to expose you to yourself so that you may call out and cast out spirits or any other aligning spirts of the enemy by name and position.

The world says, “the first step is admitting there is a problem.” Again, this concept is equivalent to Jesus’ call to surrender—admitting that you are struggling in this life without Him.

Surrender completely, ask Jesus to expose you, and reflect on what you have been shown.

We will get into just why we are all worthy of forgiveness during our next walk, but until then I leave you with this…

You cannot let go until you want to let go. Surrender. Reflect. Receive.

Holy Spirit, we thank you for this Word. We honor You, The Father, and The Son on this day. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

HSD: You are Costly

Come here. Come take a walk with me. I want to tell you a story.

A man carefully begins the project of constructing a desk to meet his every need.

He levels the desk to meet his exact sitting height.

Burmese blackwood, though rare and exotic, was used to craft its body and afford it rustic charm.

He then created extra drawers for his specific needs.

In his eyes, the desk was perfect.

Over the years, though, it lost its shine a bit.

Stains from his family’s overuse appeared on its face.

An accident caused one side to be held up by books.

It creaked when it was pressed on, but to its owner, it was still perfect. Just needed a little maintenance.

His wife, however, did not feel the same way.

She just could not understand why he would not get rid of it.

“Leave my desk alone,” he would say to her. “I made it for a reason, and I’m still using it.”

She considered his commitment to this desk for a while.

He has long since retired, so he does not technically need it.

He visits the table often but does not actually sit there anymore.

For his wife, there was no obvious reason for this man to keep what she perceived to be a piece of junk.

Finally, she initiated a garage sale. As items began to move off of their lawn, she was thrilled by how much they were able to sell and clear out of their house.

A man who carried a similar frame and height of her husband quietly looked around at what was left.

“May I help you?” she asked.

“It doesn’t seem so,” he said. “See, I was actually hoping to find a desk for my new office, but from the looks of it you’re fresh out,” he said.

She paused for a minute.

“Come inside with me. I may have something you’d like to see.”

As soon as she brought him in view of the table, his face brightened. As a carpenter himself, he knew the wood was rare and any defects could be fixed.”

“I’ll take it,” he said. “It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

So, the man left after carrying out the table. He was seventy-five dollars lighter, and the man’s wife was now seventy-five dollars richer.

The man finally came home and was deeply disappointed. He could hardly speak upon hearing the news.

“Who’d you sell it to?” he said with his palm clutching his forehead.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to find the guy and buy it back?” she retorted.

He sighed and looked deeply into her eyes. “Who. Did. You. Sell. It. to?”

Finally understanding how serious he was, she glided a note toward him that was resting on their kitchen counter.

“Here, I took down the name of the construction company on his truck.”

The man took his keys and left.

When he finally arrived back home, he slowly carried in the table.

“I really do not believe this. How much did you pay him to buy it back?”

“1,000 dollars.”

“Why would you do that?” she cried. “We could have used that money! That is all the money I made today!”

He looked at her, shook his head, and took out a crowbar that was projecting from his back pocket.

He crawled under the table and used the crowbar to access a secrete compartment that his wife had not realized was there.

He pulled out a box that read, “life savings” on its face.

In that box was one single sapphire stone which had been handed down from generations to generations throughout his family. He was cautioned by his family to never disclose the existence of the stone to anyone outside of the bloodline because responses to its existence could attract more harm than good.

Estimated value? Twenty million.

The man intentionally built an invaluable looking vessel to house and hide something so rare and special because he knew that if anyone knew what was hidden in it, he would be a target for ingenuine relationships and potential attacks.

And when someone unrightfully pursued it? It was bought back at a hefty price because greater was in it than what could be found in a store.

I need you to realize something…

You were created for a reason and bought for a price. Just because people cannot recognize the value in you, this does not mean you are invaluable. Your value has been shielded for an appointed time, and in the name of Jesus, you will not be revealed a day sooner than you are meant to be. Not one second sooner.

God created your body, the vessel you carry, to house something so valuable that you face constant intrusions of forces attempting to convince you otherwise.

But that is more than all right.

You are a target because our common enemy recognizes your value in Christ Jesus.

You are fine. Focus on going to your Creator to find out what has been placed within you and what you are meant to do with it. Once this is revealed, make no announcements. Walk like God Himself gave you an assignment.

…because He did.

Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world.

Walk like royalty.

Holy Spirit, we thank you for inspiring this story. We honor You, The Father, and The Son on this day. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

HSD: You’re Still You

Come here. Come take a walk with me.

Consider the computer you likely have at home.

If you buy a new case for your computer, is it still a computer once you apply it?

I imagine you’re saying, “m-hmm” paired with a soft nod, so let’s keep going.

If you install new software, is it still a computer?

Okay.

If you buy a new keyboard and get rid of the old one, are you still the owner of a computer?

Okay, now that’s all good things. I’m sure you’re reading this by way of technology, anyway, so you know not all experiences with technology are good.

Let’s say a virus is sent to your computer, is it still a computer?

I can hear your agreement.

Let’s say you accidentally opened something that was sent to your email.  The message seemed innocuous enough, so you innocently opened it up to see what it was about. Multiple viruses have now infiltrated your computer because of this.

Is your computer still a computer?

(Keep walking with me. This has a point, I promise.)

Suppose someone else challenges your understanding?

 Suppose someone comes along and opposes what you know to be absolutely true concerning this machine?

What if someone comes along, looks at your computer and says, “wellp, there are too many viruses on this device. It is no longer a computer.”

Wouldn’t you correct them?

Wouldn’t you say, “viruses can’t change what it is. This is still a computer.”?

Okay…now final questions:

What if, on an off day, this person was able to change your mind? What if after some time of convincing you or you trying to connect with his/her perspective, they wear you down? Finally, even YOU say, “you’re right. With all of this mess, this cannot possibly be a computer.”

Wouldn’t you be very wrong?

You sure?

I’m glad you feel this way.

I am going to interrupt your pattern of thinking today.

I need you to realize this…

No matter what you change about yourself, you are still who God says you are.

No matter what you apply or take away, you are still who God says you are.

No matter what experiences you’ve faced in your lifetime, you are still who God says you are.

No matter which spirits of the enemy has infiltrated your life just like viruses in a computer, you are still who God says you are.

And no matter who comes along and perceives you any differently, or changes the way you perceive yourself, you are still absolutely who God says you are.

The creation of your soul and the purpose of this creation is a fundamental truth; this cannot change. You are not your experiences. Your experiences reinforce what you’re meant to do as you walk into your God-given identity. It’s like downloading apps to your computer. No matter how you manipulate your experience, you are still looking at a computer. Your experience with what has your name on it just looks differently (because of what appeals to you) than the person’s device next to you.

The spirits of the enemy assigned to your life by hell’s kingdom cannot change who you are foundationally, even if they influence your feelings and your response to your experiences.

So just like innocently opening a harmful email sent to you, sometimes your actions invite this infiltration. These mistakes don’t change who you are.

Just like your first response to a malfunctioning computer would be to turn to the antivirus software and let that do its job to fix this issue, this is the same way Our Father is waiting for us to turn to Him.

Despite any mistakes you’ve made, what you’ve invited versus what you’ve entertained, what you didn’t ask for versus what you believe you deserved, you are only called to do one thing to overcome all of this confusion:

Reconnect to your Identifier. He will help you to come out of agreement with the lies of Satan (virus), step out of alignment from the spirit of insecurity (virus), eliminate self-destructive habits (virus), rid your life of bad counsel (virus). Jesus is the antivirus protection you need to function properly.

God has promised you this, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

The Creator of all things sent you on this earth with a title (more to come on this; see next post Embrace Your Weapons), an identity, and even a personality. The flesh which encloses your soul is not who you are. What happens to this flesh is also not who you are.

Step into agreement with who God says you are and stand firmly in this revelation. Let everything else roll off like the temporary accessories or lies they are.

Another good thing about Antivirus Protection? It recognizes what its fixing. You can’t just download this software onto any machine? Why, because it can’t work with what it doesn’t recognize.

Call out to Jehovah Saboath- The Lord of Hosts

Call out to Jehovah Raah- The Lord your Shephard

Call out to Jehovah Nissi- The Lord your Banner

Call out to El Roi- The God who sees you

He is both your Protector and Identifier. He knows who and what you are.

Let nothing nor anyone confuse you.

 Holy Spirit, we thank you for this word. In Jesus’ Name we honor you. Amen.

HSD: Embrace Your Weapons

Come here. Come walk with me.

Did you know that it took 2 ½ years to build the original atomic bomb? Oh yes! In fact, nuclear weapons in general not only take years to develop, but they also undergo a series of tests to ensure they’re working properly and that they reach the highest potential for impact once detonated. Thousands of people are employed to work on these projects, too! And once they get it juuust right, the finished products stand to impact hundreds of thousands of people in both short-term consequences and long-term effects.

Can you believe it? That’s crazy, right?

But let’s get into what you’re really thinking.

Why have I whisked you away to consider something so serious?

Because I need to change your perspective on your life experiences.

You’re not suffering from hard times. You’re suffering from unawareness.

Building powerful weapons take time, tests, multiple hands/efforts, and patience.

Let’s do a quick recap: Your soul has been created to complete an assignment for The Almighty God, and your identity was established long before you were born (Jeremiah 1:5).

Anything you experience on this physical journey is meant to reinforce that which you have been created to do as a member of God’s army.

Remember when we talked about that? Okay, let’s keep walking.

Your experiences are, therefore, your weapons.

You carry an arsenal of tools designed to address confrontations (both yours and others; both bad and good) during your walk here on earth and according to the strengths assigned to your identity in Christ.

His Word tells us this, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the Knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

I need you to realize something…

The longer you suffer through an experience in and by faith, the more sharpened this weapon of experience will be.

The longer you spend in development, the more impactful the finished product will be.

If the weapons of our warfare are strong enough to pull down strongholds, do you understand that your experience may be used to drag strongholds back into descension where they are forced to realign themselves with the evil one who positioned them?

That your experiences are weapons of warfare designed to help others come out of agreements with victimhood mentalities and stagnation accommodating belief systems? Out of insecurities and lies spoken over their lives? Out of faithlessness and into faithfulness?

You are a soldier in Christ, my love. You belong to the greatest army with the most Powerful General in the entire universe. Throughout the limitless looping of eternity, The Lord and His Army will forever be the most formidable.

Your experiences are reinforcing weapons designed to support your identity, so that you may complete that which has been assigned to your existence.

You weren’t just raised in a tough family. Your assignment as a healer needed supporting evidence to resonate with targets. By the time the Lord sends you out to speak to hearts hardened by trauma, your years of experience in a traumatic environment will be used as a weapon to soften gridlocked stances.

If you have been crying out to God for years about one situation, and you find yourself still in this place despite your commitment to full surrender: This experience is not a punishment. It is a weapon in development. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says The Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

What are you misunderstanding about this promise? We know He’s not lying, so what have you been unknowingly coming into agreement with? Spirit of doubt? Fear?

You must understand what you’re carrying otherwise your weapons will continue to be used against you.

There are people who are waiting for your expected outcome to reach you. Waiting for you to come into agreement with who you are and what your story has prepared you to do.

Step out of agreement with the conditioning the enemy has planted and manipulated in you throughout the years. You are not invaluable; the enemy merely recognized the seed grafted in you and took time to water into the maturity of a stronghold.

You are not suffering from a bad start. You are suffering from an identity-crisis.

There are people waiting for the finished product or version of you. There are people simply waiting for the God-aligned version of you.  

God has not forgotten about you, but the weapon that He is developing in you from an experience He knows He has equipped you to grow from cannot be thrown away just because He understands your pain.

He can’t throw it away to simply give you what you want when you want it.

He can’t just abort mission when He plans to use you and this weapon that you possess to impact thousands or millions.

It is written, “We know all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

God wastes nothing, so every experience whether allowed or commanded, is meant to support your assignment.

Like any weapon with wide potential, you must be formed and tested. Thousands of people will be sent to help work on you just like a nuclear weapon. You consider them family, church family, classmates, coworkers, store clerks, the public—every encounter is designed to prepare you for the mission you’ve been created to execute. Every encounter is designed to test you. To curate you. To chisel and form you until you’re just right for detonation.

In this season embrace your weapons, Soldiers-in-Christ.

 Suffer strong.

 Holy Spirit, we thank you for this word. In Jesus’ Name we honor you. Amen.

HSD: The Importance of Worship Series- Part I

Consider the structure of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). Do you ever wonder why the Lord calls us to worship God before we cover anything else in prayer? Before we ask for His forgiveness? Before we ask for His provision and protection? Why does The Word place so much emphasis on worship? Let us break this down Holy Spirit:

Warning: This part may read a little stiff but before things can get interesting, we have to cover some terminology and historical context of terms used. If you tend to skip ahead past the genealogy scriptures throughout the Bible, I’m talking to you. Try to absorb this part. The Holy Spirit is moving.

1.   In the first part of this series, we will dissect the etymologies of the terms “praise” and “worship” and their relation to Christ. The term “praise” carries two different meanings. Both meanings are worth considering in their relation to God, so stay with me. The term praise as it is spelled today carries Latin and Old French origins. It began its journey as the word pretium meaning price in Latin. It was identified as the term preisier or to prize or praise in Old French where it found settlement in Middle English as the term we see spelled out as praise which means “to set a price on or attach value to something.” While we see praise in this way commonly attached to the term appraise, we would be remiss to not acknowledge its original usage in relation to honoring God, especially since the definition for praise as we know it today actually requires the former to be executed effectively. Praise, meaning to honor or to glorify, comes from the Latin origin of laudate or laud. In its original form, you’ll find this term trailing behind collegiate honorary distinctions (i.e. Magna Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude), but its intention to honor those who are worthy of recognition continues. Biblically, one will find the two forms or spellings used interchangeably throughout scripture. In Romans chapter 15:11 KJV it reads, “And again, Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles; and laud Him, all ye people.” There is a reason Paul uses both terms. He does this to imply distinction, that we should accurately consider God and determine His value before approaching Him with the offering of adoration. Understanding both definitions reminds us that praise is an offering, and a worthy offering can only be determined through active consideration of the recipient’s worth. Now the term worship combines both meanings. With Germanic roots, it found settlement in Old English as the term “weordscipe” before maturing into its modern form as we see spelled today. The term worship simply means (and has always meant) the condition of being worthy to receive honor. Again, to determine worthiness, one must assess value. To be deemed worthy of honor, this means this assessment is executed correctly and the verdict accurately accommodates the value of the recipient. When coming to God, it is vital to remember all He has done for you and all that His Word told you about His Power and His Character. This “remembrance” helps you to understand to whom you are speaking and His value as The Almighty God. Only then will you be able to enter into the realm of “genuine worship.”

For instance, I want you to consider the story of Cain and Abel. Many people wonder why Abel’s offering was more favored than Cain’s offering. The Word says, “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.” Genesis 4:3-5 KJV

Abel appraised God’s worth and accommodated this value by offering the first of his flock. Cain failed to truly consider God by only giving him a portion of what he could afford. One was a genuine sacrifice, the other a convenient gesture. Abel’s accurate appraisal of God’s worthiness led to an offering of genuine praise. Cain’s selfish offering exposed the spirit of the enemy already at work within him. The Word then says, “but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

**Pause: Can we all just appreciate God’s Dad moment here for a second? God asked Cain, “Why has your countenance fallen?” For those of you who grew up in homes like mine, this is the equivalent of our parents saying, “Hey, look at me. Why does your face look like that? Fix it.”

Annnd we’re back.

Loosely translated, God says, “why are you so angry when all you have to do is do better next time? Unless you’re not actually striving to do better or learn from this experience which places you in danger of going your own way (sinning). Be careful though, if you’re not trying to please Me, someone else is waiting to work with you full time.”

And instead of reflecting on the conviction of God, Cain took matters into His own hands, as God foretold, and sinned against Him.

Let us not be like Cain. If The Holy Spirit is convicting you to upgrade your worship, take heed and make the necessary steps to do so. Some of us might say, “I’m not like Cain. In fact, I typically approach the Lord in repentance before worship.”

You’d be surprised to know that this gesture is mostly rooted in pride, not humility. Stay tuned for Part 2 in this series for more on this.

Holy Spirit, we thank you for this Word. In Jesus’ Name to the Glory of the Father we praise. Amen.